Green roofs are increasing in popularity to the number of benefits they bring, especially in city areas. With the increase in extreme weather patterns, green roofs offer an environmentally friendly way of protecting buildings. They can help offer a home for wildlife to city living and reduce the amount of dull grey concrete when you look out your window. This guide shows you how you can green up your shed with a green roof in just one day!
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Green roofs are incredibly versatile and beneficial to any garden. This guide on how to fit a green roof guide will show you how easy it is to green up your back garden shed. What has caused the increasing popularity of green roofs though?
Green roofs can slow down the flow of torrential downpours, enabling sewers to cope better. They also are super drought tolerant whilst keeping temperatures inside the building cooler. They can encourage wildlife to your garden and reduce the grey landscape of man made structures. They also increase the lifespan of your roof by reducing UV damage and reducing extreme in temperatures. There really is no drawback to a green roof. Let’s start by having a look at one of the most common forms of a green roof. The sedum green roof.
WHAT IS A SEDUM ROOF?
A sedum room is an area of roof that’s been prepared to house a layer of substrate and then a matt or blanket of sedum. Sedum is incredibly resilient and low maintenance and an excellent choice for a low maintenance green roof.
This guide shows you how to fit a green roof to a shed. If you want to fit a green roof to your house or garage it is always recommended that you take specialist advice as drainage and specific protective layers may be required that are usually out of the skills of most common gardeners! This sedum green roof and its components for my video guide were supplied by Green Roofs Direct. They are one of the only suppliers to be fully carbon neutral, cut their Sedum rolls only when ordered and also offer sea hardened Sedum. They really are the top dogs of green roof supplies!
When fitting a green roof to a shed make sure that your shed roof can take the increased weight load from a green roof. It is always best when buying a shed for this purpose to go for a reinforced shed. Alternatively, you can reinforce and brace the internal shed structure and roofing joists before fitting.
1.BUILD THE TANALISED WOODEN ROOF FRAME
You will need to build a tanalised wooden frame to your existing shed roof. In this example, I have used a pent shed roof, rather than an apex, which is easier to demonstrate on. Build the frame so it provides a 3cm lip around the roof felt for the substrate and sedum blanket to be placed into. Leave the front lip (lowest part of the roof) off until you’ve fitted the water proof membrane.
3. FIX A WATER PROOF MEMBRANE TO THE SHED ROOF
Once the frame is attached measure and cut to size a water proof membrane or piece of pond liner. This is used to then attach inside the frame to make the existing felt roof completely water tight. Use a heavy duty staple gun to carefully attach the water proof membrane to the inside of the frame creating a water proof frame within the frame. This means that the water that filters through the sedum can drain quickly. If not the damp Sedum in bad weather can sit wet on the felt and cause it to degrade quickly. Use a staple gun to carefully attach this.
4. ADD A LAYER OF PROTECTIVE FLEECE TO THE GREEN ROOF
Then cut the same size in protective sedum fleece. This acts as a barrier for the sedum as it grows and its roots spread to form a mat. It;s impermeable to the roots and again helps protect both the roof and the sedum.
5. ADD A LAYER OF GROWING SUBSTRATE
Spread out a 2cm layer of growing substrate. The growing substrate should be low in nutrients, absolutely no compost or top soil. It should be made out of inert crushed rock, sand and grit so it is free draining.
6. LAY YOUR SEDUM BLANKETS
Cut to size your sedum blankets. Water them before you install and then lift and unroll them on the roof. Ensure all joints are butted up tightly. This example uses Sedum album also known as White stonecrop. It’s a little like laying turf, you can see my guide for that here!
Your green roof should bring you many years of lush green coverage.
31 авг 2017
